Week 3: September 27 - October 1 - Build background knowledge through a micro-level analysis of style
In a group of two or three people, complete an exploration of one of the following textually-focused topics. Sign up right on this page, underneath the topic. A recognition of how the novel was structured and and written (use of language, form, etc.) will open doors to deeper understandings of the significance of the novel within its political and cultural context. The challenge: your assignment is to represent your ideas in a graphical form -- it could be a chart, a poster, a collage, a presentation -- in a traditional format (PPT) or a non-traditional format (such as a Prezi or a Glog). It will need to be in electronic format, to be posted on this site. Please see me to discuss your ideas! See if you can come up with something that no-one has ever thought of making before!
The movie tells the story in a much more linear fashion; the book jumps around. Explore the structure of the book graphically. Share your resulting annotated visual depiction of the novel's structure on this page.
Follow characters and their involvement in the plot as well as their contributions to theme. At first, the names will seem rather confusing. Choose one major character or two minor characters and trace their journey through the story. How are they functioning to further the impact Boll wants his novel to make?
Create a timeline of the novel, by rearranging the situations into chronological order. How does Boll's manipulation of time in the actual novel contribute to its impact?
This novel is about villains and heroes - trace the real "villains" and the "heroes" and determine how can we tell the difference in this novel? Consider authorial intent and how style contributes to our perspective reading about these characters.
The novel shows the character assassination of Katharina Blum, which occurs and is reinforced by the use of faulty logic. Explore examples of faulty logic in the world in general; identify examples of manipulation through faulty logic in the novel; look at the real world and determine how much people influence others about characters' qualities through the use of fallacious thinking.
REMEMBER: Your response is visual -- it may contain language in text or audio format, but it is not to be written in paragraphs!
Support: Tap into the wisdom of the group -- discuss how you might approach these topics, ask questions, and/or explore various presentation tools in the Discussion Forum conversation, here. Also, put aside some time to search out related information from online journals and other resources.
In a group of two or three people, complete an exploration of one of the following textually-focused topics. Sign up right on this page, underneath the topic. A recognition of how the novel was structured and and written (use of language, form, etc.) will open doors to deeper understandings of the significance of the novel within its political and cultural context. The challenge: your assignment is to represent your ideas in a graphical form -- it could be a chart, a poster, a collage, a presentation -- in a traditional format (PPT) or a non-traditional format (such as a Prezi or a Glog). It will need to be in electronic format, to be posted on this site. Please see me to discuss your ideas! See if you can come up with something that no-one has ever thought of making before!
REMEMBER: Your response is visual -- it may contain language in text or audio format, but it is not to be written in paragraphs!
Support: Tap into the wisdom of the group -- discuss how you might approach these topics, ask questions, and/or explore various presentation tools in the Discussion Forum conversation, here. Also, put aside some time to search out related information from online journals and other resources.